1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to electrical apparatus such as sensors and transducers and more particularly to an interconnection arrangement for providing an electrical path within the material of a support body of the electrical apparatus, the interconnection arrangement including characteristics to alleviate stresses in the material of the support body due to volumetric changes in the material.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various electrical components (i.e., devices, elements, etc.) are molded within support bodies or housings to provide electrical apparatus such as current and/or voltage transducer. For example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,162,726, 4,002,976, and 4,935,693. Commonly, such support bodies are molded using an elevated temperature-curing polymeric compound such as cycloaliphatic epoxy resin. Since the polymeric compound has a different coefficient of expansion versus temperature compared to the components molded within, as the polymeric compound of the support body cools and cures, forces are exerted on the various components with resultant stresses potentially occurring at various points of the interface between the components and the polymeric material. If such stresses and forces are not relieved, undesirable stress concentrations can result in the material of the support body with potentially deleterious effects. Thus, while it may be desirable to utilize relatively rigid (i.e., relatively non-deformable, incompressible) components to accurately position either the components themselves or other supported components, such configurations can create undesirable stresses in the material of the support body. On the other hand, if flexible (i.e., easily deformable, compressible) components are utilized, then the accurate positioning of components during the forming of the support body, within a mold for example, is either impossible, or greatly complicated and compromised. To alleviate these problems regarding the support and positioning of electrical components, a support arrangement is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,162,726 that responds to volumetric changes in the material of the support body by permitting relative movement between portions of the support arrangement.
While the prior art arrangements are useful to provide for the relief of certain stresses and forces in a molded support body, it would be desirable to provide additional and more economical electrical paths and interconnection arrangements within a molded support body that both accurately position the electrical path or interconnection arrangement and that relieve any stresses due to volumetric changes in the polymeric material of the support body.